Fire alarm device



June 13, 1967 w. c. MESSICK FIRE ALARM DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov, 16, 1964 INVENTOR W. C. MESS/CK ATTORNEY June 13, 1967 w. c. MESSICK FIRE ALARM DEVICE Filed Nov. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill INVENTOR. W. C. MESS/C K ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,325.800 FIRE ALARM DEVICE Willard C. Messicl-r, Cortland, N.Y., assignor to Standard Alarm 8: Signal C0., Summit, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,338 2 Claims. (Cl. 340297) This invention relates to a warning device for use in connection with a fire alarm box, for alerting those in the vicinity of the site, of the sending of a fire alarm. Thus the person sending in the false alarm may be observed, discouraging false alarms and facilitating arrest of offenders. False alarms tie up men and endanger them and their equipment and often delay or prevent their responding to proper alarms.

The foregoing objects are accomplished by use of a pressure actuated warning system installed on standard firse alarm boxes without interfering with normal procedure for sending fire alarms but complementing the same and being automatically actuated simultaneously therewith.

The drawings, illustrating procedures and devices useful in carrying out the invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of the invention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices and procedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of fire alarm box shown open, with the invention applied thereto,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the box shown closed,

FIG. 3 is a partly broken side elevational view of the horn attached to the fire alarm box, and connections therefor,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the interior of the box, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 4.

With specific reference to the example or form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the numeral 7 generally indicates a side of the fire alarm box 8 having a door 9 and a standard fire alarm signal relaying mechanism 10 interiorly of the box. The numeral 11 generally indicates an extending part in mechanism 10 which actuates or triggers the fire alarm mechanism 10, connected to a fire station, when the pull lever 12 is moved to send the alarm (dotted lines, FIG. 4). Lever 12 is connected to the bar 13, which has a plate 14 attached thereto. A rod or plunger 15 is movably positioned in valve 23 (FIG. 5) below the plate 14, the valve being connected to a gas container 17 which may be filled at the other end through valve 18. The valve 23 is fixed to plate 22 (which is fixed to the inside of the door) securing the gas container 17 and valve apparatus on the inside face of the door (FIG. 4). When the door is closed, bar 13 and rod 15 abut or are close to each other. The flexible tube 19 connects the gas container apparatus 17 with horn 20 (FIG. 1

In FIG. 1 the fire alarm box is shown with the door open. Pivoted to the inner face of the door is the bar 13 having an angular and defining pull lever 12 extending through a slot in the door 8 so as to be operable at the front of the box, as shown in FIG. 2. Plate 14, which may be L-shaped (FIG. 1), may be fixed to bar 13 to depress of the plunger or rod 15 on movement of bar 13 (also shown in FIG. 4). Movement of lever 12 to sound the fire alarm correspondingly moves bar 13 and the latter moves rod 15 against the tension of spring 21 (FIG. 5) which bears at opposite ends on a washer fixed on the upper end of the rod 15 and a housing 22 in valve casing 23. A sealing assembly 24 is fixed to the rod 15 and may comprise a pair of C washers fixed to the rod 15 with a compressible O-n'ng therebetween so as to seal the rod 15 in the valve 23. A sealing disc 16 closes the valve 23 of comhorn 20 so that a warning noise is emitted at the site of the fire alarm box, calling attention of all within range, to the person setting the alarm.

The warning system may be readily adapted to standard fire alarm boxes, is economically installed, is effective in discouraging false alarms and does not interfere with the normal operation of the fire alarm mechanism.

The valve casing 23 is provided with a longitudinal aperture wherein the rod 15 is reciprocably disposed, through a sealing assembly 24 at the top of the casing 23.

The longitudinal aperture is closed adjacent the lower end of casing 23 by disc 16; in addition, the casing 23 may have an apertured web 30 intermediate the disc 16 and the gas container 17 and partly closing the aperture. This arrangement enables the born to blow for a longer time and with a uniform decible value; the web 30 further prevents evaporation of Freon or other gas in container 17 such as might occur on excessive puncturing or substantial rupturing of disc 16 by rod 15. For example, and without limitation thereto, horn 20 may have an orifice of .030 for pressure to blow the horn and the aperture in web 30 at the lower end of the casing 23 assembled into gas container 17 may have a .033" orifice. The differences in the orifices create a back pressure in tubing 19 leading to the horn. The piercing pin 15 (FIG. 5) does not, in every case, form the same size hole in the disc 16; therefore the above design results in the following advantages: Maintains higher decible sound in the horn; the horn blows much longer; by having a smaller and controlled size of orifice (.033") in the member 23 assembled into the gas container 17 (FIG. 5) evaporation of the Freon in gas container 17 is retarded and thereby cylinder 17 does not chill as quickly and the pressure remains more constant.

On actuation of an alarm properly sent in, sounding of the horn further attracts help from persons in the vicinity, alerting them to the fire.

A specific fire alarm box has been shown and described by way of illustration only; the invention is adapted for use with any type of fire alarm box for conveying a fire alarm signal.

While the foregoing disclosure of exemplary embodiments is made in accordance with the patent statutes, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, the inventive scope being defined in the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a fire alarm system for use with a fire alarm box, said fire alarm box having a mechanism therein for a fire alarm signal to be relayed to a fire station and having thereon an audible warning signal device to be operated in conjunction with said fire alarm system, a pressurized gas system including a sealing disc, and means for puncturing said sealing disc to thereby release said gas and actuate said audible device on actuation of the fire alarm signal, said pressurized gas system including a restricted orifice and said means for puncturing the sealing disc including a plunger movable through said restricted orifice and against the sealing disc to puncture the latter and thereby enable the pressurized gas to pass through said restricted orifice.

2. In a fire alarm system for use in connection with a fire alarm box, said fire alarm box having a mechanism for relaying a fire alarm signal to a fire station, a warning signal device connected in said fire alarm box, means for simultaneously actuating said warning signal device and said fire alarm signal, said warning signal actuating means comprising a pressurized gas container and a sealing disc therefor, said warning signal device including an audible device, and valve means between the gas container and the audible device, said valve means actuated by said actuating means, said fire alarm box having a door, said actuating means comprising a pull lever and bar for engaging said valve means movably positioned on the door of the fire alarm box and extending outwardly thereof for actuation from a position outside the box, and extending into the box to thereby actuate the valve and fire alarm signal, said gas system and audible warning device being separably mounted on the door and body respectively,

and flexible conduit means connecting the gas system and the audible warning device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,637,396 8/ 1927 Solodar 340-406 1,857,040 5/1932 Bulen 340-303 2,067,705 1/ 1937 Corbett 340-297 2,167,964 8/1939 Weld 340-297 2,396,423 3/ 1946 Hines 340-407 2,742,014 4/ 1956 Pleasants 116-112 X 2,878,774 3/1959 Carroll 116-112 r 2,882,853 4/1959 Reeves 116-112 3,104,384 9/1963 Slate 340-404 X 3,116,479 12/ 1963 Kingsmore 340-304 3,153,226 10/1964 Jensen 340-404 X 3,185,127 5/1965 Chedister 116-112 X NEIL C. READ, Primary Examiner. V R. GOLDMAN, I. I. LEVIN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A FIRE ALARM SYSTEM FOR USE WITH A FIRE ALARM BOX, SAID FIRE ALARM BOX HAVING A MECHANISM THEREIN FOR A FIRE ALARM SIGNAL TO BE RELAYED TO A FIRE STATION AND HAVING THEREON AN AUDIBLE WARNING SIGNAL DEVICE TO BE OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID FIRE ALARM SYSTEM, A PRESSURIZED GAS SYSTEM INCLUDING A SEALING DISC, AND MEANS FOR PUNCTURING SAID SEALING DISC TO THEREBY RELEASE SAID GAS AND ACTUATE SAID AUDIBLE DEVICE ON ACTUATION OF THE FIRE ALARM SIGNAL, SAID PRESSURIZED GAS SYSTEM INCLUDING A RESTRICTED ORIFICE AND SAID MEANS FOR PUNCTURING THE SEALING DISC INCLUDING A PLUGER MOVABLE THROUGH SAID RESTRICTED ORIFICE AND AGAINST THE SEALING DISC TO PUNCTURE THE LATTER AND THEREBY ENABLE THE PRESSURIZED GAS TO PASS THROUGH SAID RESTRICTED ORIFICE. 